Most Common Prednisone Side Effects : Short Term and Long Term, and Solutions | Corticosteroids 

The doc didn't mention brain fog. This and insomnia were by far the worst symptoms I suffered on 50mg per day of Prednisone for 2 months, then stepping down to 30mg per day, while also on1000mg of Celcept that will eventually go to 2000mg per day and replace the Prednisone. I am stepping this down by 5mg a fortnight. IU am also on Mestinon of course,3 x 60mg a day. (I am a 73 year old male.) While stepping down the worst side effect has been bad lower back pain. I have displace lower disc, but this is not the issue. I read that lower back pain is one of the side effects and I had it big time. Pain patches have helped. Since starting Prednisone my MG has not improved. In fact, I think it has got worse. I will see out the first months and then talk to my doc. He's not too bad. However, from all the very helpful YT vids I now know more than he does. I only need him for scripts. Your health is far too important to leave to doctors alone, especially when I comes to the many individual complications involving MS. Cheers from Western Australia.

It's insane how he writes with both hands 😱

RA Patient here…love the relief I get from occasional prednisone treatments. Might catch up with me later…but it has made my life so much more tolerable during major flares or illnesses.

I've been on prednisone up to 60mgs/40mgs a day/every other day on and off all my life because of kidney problems. And I've experienced just about all of these things. Its a struggle especially with mood changes. You don't feel like yourself.

Sometimes going to the Dr is just a bad idea. 💊 💊 💊

Hello I know this video is a bit old but I recently took prednisone for about 3 weeks (30mg tapered down every couple of days) then stopped for a few weeks then did another 3 weeks same regiment just finished it but I had some blurred vision. Should I be concerned about glaucoma or does that only happen with constant long term use?

Hi Dr, Thank you for your video which I found very useful. I have cutaneous vasculitis as well as arthritis and have been on prednisolone for 15 years. It is managing the diseases but not sure if I'll be on this medication for the rest of my life or any serious side effects. Your thoughts please?

Thank you Doc, very well presented/explained! Subbed

Great info. But can you tell me if it causes headaches on the first day of taking it . I'm only on it for 5 days.

Thanks for the information. By the way what kind of gloves do you have on? Carpal tunnel gloves?

Good day doctor. I have urticaria. 7 days of prednisone is not enough for me for my allergy comes back after i finish all my prednisones. Is it safe to ask from my doctor for more prednisones that will last for 2 weeks or more?

Excellent job explaining prednisone..Can you take vitamins with Prednisone?

Thank you for this video.

Thank you for sharing this information 👍💞

Hi can you answer me a question! I've read online it can effect muscle mass by losing muscle but I'm only taking it for 5 days at a dose of 40mg daily. Should I notice and weaknesses or muscle loss or is this for much longer time periods?

I’m getting wrecked by this stuff after only 6 days

Great presentation. Thank you.

So I was given 60 mgs. today at the ER and prescribed 40 MG a day for two days, I don't wanna take any more after the 60 MG. Today, will it be OK to quit after the one done today with out tapering off

Great Job!!👍👍

How long after weight training should I wait to take prednisone so as not to blunt some of the benefits of the training?

I was on prednisone for over a year 20mg dosage. I have a lot problems now with my body. Teeth crumbling joints hurt. Wish the doctors would’ve not let me take it for a long time.

What is the IC, in front of my prednisone prescription stand for?

And I’m having weird tingling in arms hands and legs I’m diabetic and have cardiovascular disease I’m concerned about this tingling I put a call in to my dr as well but was wondering if you had any thoughts

Great video!! Thanks

when quitting its so much easier to get off of if you tapper the medication as slow as you can

I can't find myself at all in these side effects. I got a shock treatment of 3 days with 20 mg prednisone, hence I got a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics. I was admitted to ER for an entire day, I got multiple medications through IV to shut down my allergic response (unstable pulse, heart rhythm, breathing problems, change of colors hands/feets and the list go on and on, was a bad one ;-)) and after being discharged, I got new antibiotics (Amoxicillin - 2 times daily), shock treatment for 3 days Prednisone (1 time daily) and Clarinase (2 times daily) as antihistamine. However, I have 0 severe side effects. I have been 2 times previously on shock treatment when I was younger (maybe already used to it) - but what I currently feel, I am just exhausted, swollen hands, feet & face and I want to sleep all the time and I have pain in my shoulders and 1 of my arms (like joint pain) and that's it. Now shock treatment done, no withdrawals until now. Jumping into bed soon! Goodnight & thanks for the vid. Hope the above somehow can help someone. Much love!

What about L4-L5 bulging disc Medrol pack now my chest hurts and my blood pressure is off the chain

Hi Doc, new subscriber here. I was prescribed Methylprednisolone 4mg, 6 pills a day and reduce one pill every subsequent day for 6 days for my sudden outbreak of hives. Is this consider high dose and will I experience some of the negative side affect mentioned in this video? I’m nervous and is not looking forward to them. Love your videos.

What do you recommend I taper to. I have started my most recent course at 60 mg, then went to 59 and now at 45 mg, how do I taper correctly so I don’t get withdrawals? I have already taken multiple courses of prednisone this year {as high as 62-5} however I believe I tapered to quickly. Any help is appreciated

What is the quantity of sugar allowed to take with prednisone?

My dermatologist diagnosed me with IgA Vasculitis due to rashes and inflammation. She directly prescribes me with prednisone 70mg/day within 2 weeks. Is it a high dosage for me as 35 yr old with 75kg weighted?

I have been on and off prednisone for well over 2 years because of severe nasal polyps. I feel great in the first few days, then anxiety and depression tend to kick in. Am I getting this right that the issue could be my body isn't naturally provoding enough prednisone? Is my adrenal gland malfunctioning? Zero doctors have ever been able to pinpoint the cause of the polyps, asthma, allergies, etc. It's common but not normal for bodies to react so violently.

Awesome, thank you 🙏🏽

Question ! I am 56 years male. And use depo medrol 120mg for 21 years now ,also use sometimes 30mg pils extra . I have this for heavy inflammatory problems. Whitout my shot i cannot walk . I am always in pain so i use also some Tramadol for pain relief and sometimes oxycodon. They both dont do that much for me. I have some side effects from the depomedrol like mood swings and moon face, my weight i keep in controle with calorie counting, so my weight is basically the same as when i started 21 years ago. I always stop with pain killers whitout going down in dosis, so i stop when i think it,s going ok , and use when i need them. The big question i have is this. After 21 years off surging what kind off deseze i have ,they still dont know what i have. In my blood work they find a high cpk/ck about 1000 . And inflammatoire i have in my wrist ,shoulders, legs. Basically i am always in pain. Why can dokters dont find what i have ? They say its reuma ore ms ore what ever. On scans they see the inflammatory response, bud still now real answer. Do you have any idea what to look for ? Thanks and greetings .

@DoctorSecrets you’ve totally missed that peri menopausal and menopausal women should start on Estradiol to help prevent bone loss. I’m so angry that estrogen deficiency of menopause is totally ignored with prednisone treatment!

My husband has prostate cancer and for the past three years he has been on yonsa and metho prednisone.. he is now off both drugs... Because of a birth defect in his left leg he Has chronic adema which is usually improved with compressions stockings.. But now since he is no longer on a metho prednisone he has severe Pitting edema... I believe Is that his adrenal glands have not fully recovered.... any suggestions as to getting his body back to normal?

I was prescribed with methylprednisolone for less than a month total. Is there still a chance to have side effects, and what are they?

Thank you great doctor, you really broke it down my understanding.Have a great and lovely, wonderful day!

thank you for the detailed look at prednisone. i wonder if you could do the same for not taking prednisone. I have hypo-petuitarism (for 18 years now) and i don't take much if any prednisone, except when my body is feeling stressed i will take some. after days of too much noise or even light activity i feel stressed and take one for that day and maybe the next too. granted i don't take more than 10 mg in a day. Also, i want to get back to work, but i know i wont be able to do so without this drug. I don't want to be on prednisone. i find i have adjusted to not having it in my system. I am calm and collected. however, doing the dishes, sweeping daily activity i have to rest every 5 minutes.

Hello Dr! I've been taking these for a few days and in the mornings I have been waking up with sooo much green mucas.. Are they helping clear what's in my sinuses or is that an added effect I need to keep an eye on!

3 years i was on an inhaler with corticosteroids. I thought I was dying, neck and face swollen , under my chin. MASSIVE weight gain on my trunk. I went to all different doctors they all just said I was fat . My eyes got bad, I just thought it was age. My face and neck look like I have Cushing but I was told no. Your a wonderful doctor. God bless you. By the way I stopped the inhaler about a month and nothing has gotten bitter.

08/15/2023 What about Prednisone being used to treat vitiligo and alopecia? I am a 56 year old African American black female woman diagnosed with vitiligo at the age of 53 due to an autoimmune (disease, disorder, or conditions) Whichever term one chooses to associate with. My dermatologist has prescribed Prednisone for me along with two different topical creams and a liquid solution to apply for my scalp

Hello, I‘d be very thankful if I’d receive a response from you. 🙏 After 6 painful months I am (38) finally diagnosed as having Frozen shoulder. I’ve got to take Psednisolone for 25 days. ( 5 days 25mg - 5 days 20 mg-….) i can’t do Sport having pain in my shoulder. I go waking for 1h every day and And I’m dead scarred of side effects and depressed. I’m on the 5. day today. My questions: 1. Would you preferably recommend me giving up any sugar - even fruits- for a month? 2. what can I do to counteract getting „ thin skin“ 😣 ? Best regards from Munich

Can you be on a deficit to prevent weight gain?

Can I decide to stop taking it ? I took it only to help inflammation in my throat. I don't like what it's doing to me. I was suppose to take 6 pills day 1. 5 pills day 2 and so on and so forth I did 6 on day 1 Today is day 2 and I only took 3 Can I do 2 tomorrow and 1 the next day ? (I wanna skip some days ❤) will this make a problem?? Or can I be ok ? I wish I started with only 4 or 3 for day 1 Not 6. They are 4mg each

Thank you doctor for taking the time to help educate the public. I've been using it in my eye for almost a year and it is not clearing up the inflammation for whatever reason. I also deal with fibromyalgia symptoms which I suspect may have some impact since it's about internal inflammation???

I'm on a 4 day prescription and experiencing only small red skin lesions (basically small beauty marks), side effect. Will these ever go away?! There are new ones popping up on my arms, legs, back every day! I'm on 3 tablets of 20mg for 4 days. Absolutely insane. I have not seen a change in appetite. I take my dose during the morning and can't believe I have more than 30 small beauty marks and I never have had these!

I was prescribed this today....

Awesome to find out I'm going to gain tons of weight have a moon acne face and deal with weak bones and probably teeth. How much natural calcium should I take daily or does calcium pills work?

I took prednisolone 80mg 5 days and tapered to 40mg for another 5 days paired with ventolin and flixotide inhaled steroids. All for a bout of bronchitis. The symptoms were instantaneous. I had irregular heartbeat, face flush and insomnia all throughout taking it so much so that I just stopped taking the inhalers before my time was up. I also got increased appetite to the point of shaking with hunger and a puffy face. I have finished the prednisolone around 4 days ago and still have the puffy face and sometimes experience the irregular heartbeat not as bad as it was while taking them but the puffy face is quite frustrating. How long does it take for the symptoms to subside??

Can steroids trigger bradycardia? If yes, how long this effect will last? The pluse rate is between 53-57. No any other complaint. So should we worry. This is about my father, prostate cancer and high bp patient. His beta blockers also been stopped for days.

Hi guys I have been on prednisone for around 8 months for sarcoidosis, lungs and chest seem to have improved massively which is amazing only down side is I seem to be going Brighton red in the face on the regular at any given time also extremely hot like burning face and burning eyes , is this a reaction to the steroids ? I am now trying to worm my self off them as it is becoming unbearable

thanks for this video☺️

going in for a second transplant and im about to be put on waaaaay more steroids than i was originally put on with my first transplant. im 27 years old and been doing this since i was 8. hoping this time around it will be better????? idk...

What is considered a low, normal, and high dose of Prednisone? The side effects seem dose dependent. I was prescribed 6 day medrol dosepak

My 14 year old has been on it 6 months cause of a heart transplant I’m concerned about cortisol

I started methylprednisolone 4mg dosepak, and I have had stomach pain, tight chest along with hives ..... taking it for back pain and not able to sleep

I was prescribed this medication two weeks ago for a eyelid dermatitis for 5 days, but there a lot of negative comments about it. Is true that when you stop the medication, the dermatitis comes back even more aggressive?

Been on 40mg for 2 months. Ulcerative colitis symptoms came back after taper. Back on 40mg now but I’m tired of the side effect. I know I’m not supposed to stop but what happens if just stop taking it?

What do you do when your prescribed prednisone for surgery and you have panic and anxiety disorder?

I took a high dose for an MS flare for 5 days, how long will my taste be distorted?

In mild case what should be the power in mg, please advise

is it normal to feel cold when taking it but also sweating at the same time ?thanks this help a lot

I use prednisone to heal scar tissue after a severe allergic reaction to hair dye. My neck was swelling like a balloon and my face that pill saved my life.

my mom has been taking predisone for over a decade everyday and she has become borderline crazy is that the predisone or her just being crazy shes been taking it for her arthritus and lupus

I ended up in the hospital due to liver being swollen (fatty liver and the start of cirrhosis) and was prescribed this for a month.

Went to urgent care this Sunday because my ears were hurting, diagnosing was that I have dysfunction of Eustachian tubes, both ears. Basically they are inflamed. And lemme tell you, last night I experienced insomnia. Went to bed at 2 AM. And I had the worse mood swings today. I just want my ears to feel normal again 😞😞😞😞😞

Thanks

Did anyone experience muscle weakness with this medication? My doctor prescribed a 5 day treatment due to my allergies, I started it yesterday and woke up today with a bad headache and muscle weakness. First dose yesterday was 40MG.

Due to recent leg swelling I was put on this for a week with a tapering down dosage packet. I was freaking out because my dad has lupus and this ruined him in many ways and helped in others. I'm a more natural person but I can get thru a week after years of the birth control crap I guess although knowing what I know now I wouldn't do that again lol! Hoping Dr.s keep working toward less side effects because we need meds that don't conflict so hard on us but I give credit because they work too. Thx for the clarification Doc! 👍🏾 Bless up

I was put on a Prednisone Pack a couple Months back & went from 110Lbs to 145Lbs in a little over a Week! My Stomach & Intestines are so Distended & SO Uncomfortable!!! I just had BloodWork & now my Glucose, AG Ratio & LDL Cholesterol are all High & it's definitely from the Steroids bc these these weren't High before the Steroids! I have No Idea what to do! What's worse is that my Dr didn't even call me when they got my Results. I checked Labcorp & saw my Results on there. I'm so Glad that my Drs on are on top of this! Grrrr!!!! I have NO IDEA what to do, but I'm not going to put up w/ this!!!

I was misdiagnosed with PMR and was taking this for 2.5 years, mostly at 20mgs or more. During that time I put on 50-70 pounds. I've been off it a year and still have the weight, moon face and foot/ankle swellings

I was prescribed predisone for poison ivy for two weeks, i now have peripheral neuropathy. I took 40mg per day for 2 weeks. is there anything i can do. i'm freaken out and pissed.

Id love to know why my dr is so against giving it to me when I only use it in 4-5 day intervals for joint inflammation. I've had to take it off and on my whole 52 years of life so I understand how to Not use it. Yet he prefers my suffering without vs my not suffering with... Now I'm pissed

I'm taking it for auto immune hepatitis for 14 years now. Now I'm on 5 mg. Thanks for taking about the side effects. I have a moon face now

I was treated w/ 2 rounds of 40 mg back-to-back for ACD. Rebounded, so I got Kenalog (all this within 5 weeks). Got worse, so much worse! My ACD exploded all over face, neck, burning. I kept telling my Dermatologist it was from steroid & he said it wasn't. Two months later after patch test received 60 mg Pred. I had horrible hot flushing every day, depression, panic attacks. I've had pred in past w/out incident but think this was too much in such a short time for my small body. I'm just 2 months off and trying to work through the effects especially my skin.

For the ulcers I lowered the dose slightly but then kidneys suffer so back on the initial dose. He was on low dose for 1 week.

5:22 pm. I was on prednisone for 9 mos. for PMR . 3 months later I came down with GCA and was on prednisone again for 1 year. I followed an anti inflammatory diet and did not gain weight or develop moon face. . I actually lost a few pounds. Side effects were few. . .

How long does it take for the water retention to go away ?

I made it halfway through a dosepack for my just diagnosed planter fasciitis. This medication made me very ill. Symptoms were nausea, trembling, dizziness, and near fainting spells. There is no possible way I can put this chemical in my body. Might as well have been rat poison. It took five days for the symptoms to go away. I gained five pounds in a little over a week from 175 pounds to 180 without changing my diet. Not a happy camper and I'm still suffering from my foot issues. The long list of possible side effects printed on the prescription insert was barely even discussed here.

I've been on prednisone for 7 days and here are the side effects I've experienced: Difficult Sleeping Temple Headache on one side of my face A little mouth numbness (occurred on Day 6) A little bit of mood swings Mood Swings Yesterday was my last day taking it. How long does it take for prednisone to get out your system?

What about skin??

Prednisone grew my hair thick on my scalp.

I took it for 7 days 40mg and then a month later 5 days 40mg . It gave me a UTI like symptom of a burning urethra. it’s been almost three weeks since I finished it and my urethra is still burning. Please I’m so desperate why hasn’t my immune system bounced back?? I am in such discomfort.

What about the shooting pains in my buttocks, thighs and knee, also mentioned by others in a prednisone Q&A patient chat? This damn drug, even after being weaned off of it, following doctor instructions, has virtually crippled me. When are these after effects going to end?

I was prescribed 20mg 3 tines a day for shingles on my face and my heart rate dropped down to between 40 and 50 whereas my normal resting is 58 to 60, I had iInsomnia, bad stomach swelling and couldn't breath. I'm thinking it's too high a dose so trying to taper down and see how I feel.

This medication is no joke. In my case a horrible experience.

🙋‍♀️ QUESTION: Last week I was hospitalized for 3 days, they wanted to keep me longer but I couldn’t handle being in there longer. They wanted to give me a total of 3000mg of IV steroids over the course of 3 days. They gave me a total of 1250mg of IV steroids because I couldn’t handle more. 2 weeks ago I took a total of 100 mg of steroid tablets. I haven’t taken any steroids for 7 days and I’m about to jump out of my own skin. Are the steroids still in my body? I’m swollen, extremely agitated, can’t sleep, super hungry and then eating a ton like I’m out of control and my blood sugar is through the roof. Is there a way for me to detox this out of my system ?? I hate this feeling and I need it to go away. PLEASE HELP ME!!!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

I was having severe asthma triggered by the worst pollen to date where I live outside Atlanta Georgia and my dr put me on 20mg tablets 2 pills in morning for 5 days why did she not ween me off I thought odd

my mother is have mood changes and insomia she always clean our house im so nervous but until i watch thus video i feel ok its the side effect of ghe medicine

Racing heart hard to sleep mood different not weak ... acid stomach proscribed for poison oak .. day 3,,,,3 week script

I took 100mg of prednisone back in 2019 daily for FOUR months due to orbital(eye) psuedotumor. My side effects were all of these but I continue to have daily migraines and my eyes hurt. I am sensitive to any type of lights. I currently am on botox for the migraines which helps. All other meds give me the wrong effects for migraine prevention. Is there anyone out there that is going through something like this or any other long lasting side effects? I also now have arthritis in my neck which was a side effect. I am 36 years old, If anyone has anything helpful please let me know. Thank you.

I had my pfizer vaccine recently and after that I experienced allergic reaction like rash and hives that so itchy and very uncomfortable all over my body from head to toe.. and my doctor prescribed me this prednisone 20mg once everyday for 7 days and after taking it I develop skin boils from my shoulders to back and to my buttocks even my thighs and legs.. and Im really stress about it cause my rashes and hives disappear on prednisone then the consequence is developing skin boils.. Im so stressed outttt

Just started an 8 week course to treat an ulcerative colitis flare. Forgot how sucky these drugs are but better than full blown disease. Just gotta get through the next two months

I was recently prescribed this for bronchitis. I was given 5 pills (20 mcg). One the 4th day, I experienced nausea, and mood swings. Then the following days, I had anxiety attacks and insomnia. How long will these side effects last?

Been on 20 mg for 3 months....have developed weakness in legs...is this from the Prednisone?????

I was prescribed Prednisone for 10 days for bell palsy. I experienced hand and feet numbness, weak knees, week ankles, fatigue, pain to my hips and buttocks, loss of balance, pain to my right elbow, agitation, and sleepless nights. The 10 days of prednisone was over 3 days ago. I still continue to have numbness on my feet and hands, weak knees, loss of balance, and slight difficulty with eyesight. How much longer will it continue before the side effects seize? Please answer!

What about eyedropper 1pr cent.?

was on 5mg predisone (sometimes up to 4 tabs a day) for over 4 years - and now off it for 2 months but feeling awful. picked up 5kgs and my stomach swolllen and rock hard like a balloon - have difficulty with acid reflux pushing up, black tongue at times, and area above stomach and around chest in severe pain

Does the weird feeling in your head ever go away? Like not feeling like yourself and your mind is not working as usual? I really don’t wanna feel like this.